Refrigerator



Dec. 1, 1936. HENNIG 2,062,651

REFRIGERATOR Filed Jan. 5, 1934 Patented Dec. 1 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Albert Hennig, Kiel, Germany Application January 5, 1934, Serial No. 705,389

In Germany January 3, 1933 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) spending to the latent heat. The energy of the oi the water-vapor which is produced, this wa-.

ter-vapor being then compressed in' one or more stages, cooled in a condenser and .condensed. The water-vapor must be so strongly compressed, that the resultant temperature produced is considerably higher than that of the cooling water employed in thecondenser. If thisis not the case, the vapor cannot possibly-be condensed.

This arrangement isopen to the objection, that the suction pump, which draws the vapor out of the evaporator, must in practice have inadmissibly large dimensions because vapor at the necesari- .y very high vacuum has a large specific volume. 2. In order to overcome the objection of the large size mechanically actuated suction pump, steam ejector pumps have been successfully. employed. In this instance the steam (live or waste) flows to the steam ejector pump, produces a high vacuum in the evaporatorand carries off the re sultant vapor into the water-cooled condenser where it is immediately condensed and thus produces a relatively high vacuum.

This arrangement is open tovarious objections. In most instances a separate boiler, and

for the condensing of the steam an especially Targe condenser and a large quantity of cooling water are necessary, because not only the steam diving out of the jet blower, but also the vapor inced from the brine under vacuum must be reused. Therefore, arrangements of this type me only suitable in such cases, where a steam boiler plant already exists for other purposes or where large quantities of waste steam and water are available at low cost, for example for driving ships.

In order to overcome these objections, a method is proposed, in which the steam for actuating the driving engine of the vacuum pump or the jet blower is not supplied from a steam boiler or as waste steam from a power plant, but in which the'energy of the steam discharged from the jet blower is increased by compressionto such an extent, that it again carries out the desired effect in the jet blower. Thus, a saving in energy is attained, because the compressor does not produce steam from water, but serves only to increas the energy of already existing steam, that is, it has not to do the portion of work corresteam flowing out of the jet blower is therefore not destroyed in a condenser, but further utilized for the working process.

Owing to the internal work of the steam, a considerably smaller condenser and a smaller quantity of cooling water are suflicient, or the condenser or the cooling water may be dispensed with entirely.

Several embodiments of the invention are illus trated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which 1 Fig. 1 shows a form'of construction of the ma.- chine in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of construction.

Fig. 3 shows .a third form of construction.

In Fig. 1 a compressor (secondary stage) I produces a vacuum in a compartment 2. The mixture of air and steam drawn off is compressed by the air pump 1 and flows through a pipe 3 to a nozzle 4, in which a high speed is imparted to the same, and then returns through the diffuser 5 into the compartment 2. At the same time a vacuum is produced in known manner in the evaporator 6 and the water vapor produced is carried into the compartment 2, whence it is returned to the air pump I through the diffuser 5 and the compartment 2 together with the steam coming from the nozzle 4. The nozzle 4 and the diffuser 5 together form an ejector air pump of known type. The mixture vapor and air drawn in is compressed in the compressor 1. Thus, the energy of the mixture is again increased and becomes capableof again performingvwork in the steam jet pump 4, 5 (primary stage) and of drawing further water vapor out of the evaporator'fi. Owing to the fact that a portion of the evaporator liquid is evaporated this is considerably cooled.

As fresh water vapor is continually drawn from the evaporator 6, the effective quantity 'of the mixture delivered by the compressor lincreases= continually. Consequently, the pressure inthe pipe 3 increases to above the normal pressure necessary for driving the ejector air pump. When the normal pressure in the pipe 3 is exceeded, a valve 8 loaded by a spring I opens. As much of the mixture flows then continually through the valve 8, as is necessary for maintaining the normal pressure in the pipe 3. The spring pressure can be adjusted by turning a hand wheel 9. The stronger the spring is compressed, the higher will be the pressure in the pipe 3, and consequently the higher will be the refrigerating effect of the machine. In the caseof automatic regulation, the spring may also be compressed ,at the same time by a lever II), which is actuated by a temperature regulator of known type, not shown in the drawing.

of a known float valve through the pipe 2|. In order to assist the evaporation in the evaporator 6 air is continually fed therein through the pipe 28. By regulating this admission of air the moisture content of the mixture can be varied, which is particularly important for the efllciency of the compressor I. If it is desired to rapidly increase the percentage of steam in the mixture when starting up the machine it is only necessary to inject a quantity of boiling water into the pipe conduit 2, this water immediately evaporating under the vacuum existing in this conduit.

The steam flowing through the valve 8 and the outlet II is either conducted into the atmosphere or may be further utilized for power, heating or cooking purposes.

A second form of construction is illustrated in Fig. 2.

In this instance I2 designates a compressor (primary stage), I3 a power engine and I I a second compressor (secondary stage). The compressor I 4 draws a mixture of steamand air from a compartment I5 and compresses same to a sufficient degree. The compressed mixture then flows through the pipe conduits I6 and II to the power engine I3 of the compressor I2 (primary stage). The mixture, after having performed the necessary work for the delivery work of the pump I2 in the power engine I3 fiows into a pipe conduit I5. Owing to the action of the pump I2 a high vacuum is produced in the evaporator 6a, the water vapor thereby produced being forced by the compressor I2 into the pipe conduit I5, the steam discharged "by the power engine I3, and the vapor conveyed from the evaporator an by the compressor I2 is drawn in by the compressor I4, compressed and returned through thepipe conduits I6 and H to the power engine I3 of the compressor I2.

As the quantity of active steam continually increases owing to the continual withdrawing of fresh vaporfrom the evaporator 6a,a portion of the mixture must always be discharged, which, as explained in detail in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 1, may be effected by a springloaded valve, the spring pressure of which may be regulated by a hand wheel 9a or at the same time by a lever "la. The steam escaping from the discharge aperture 8a generally escapes into the atmosphere but may also be utilized for other pur- DOSES.

During the beginning of the operation of the machine the mixture will consist chiefly of air. In the course of time the air will be gradually forced out through the valve 8, and as chiefly only steam is drawn off from the evaporator, it may happen that the mixture, after the machine has been running for a long time, will consist almost exclusively of vapor. As the boiling point of the brine will be raised by the lack of air a small quantity of fresh air is continually fed' into the evaporator 6a through the pipe 28a. The water which is evaporated and carried off is replaced through the pipe 2Ia.

A third form of construction of the machine is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 3.

The air pump 22 (secondary stage) produces a vacuum in the compartments 23 and 24. Thus, atmospheric air of normal atmospheric temperature flows through the slots 25 into the nozzle 26 and the difiusor 21 at a high speed. A vacuum is thus produced in the evaporator 6b, the resultant steam is carried off and supplied to the compartment 24 which is constructed as a water separator. The temperature of the atmosphericair flowing'in through the slots 25 is lowered by the expansion in the jet blower 26 and 21 so that the steam carried out of the evaporator 6b condenses. The water from condensation is then either returned to the evaporator through the regulating valve 29 or is discharged into the open by a pump, not shown in the drawing. The highly heated air delivered from the compressor 22 is either allowed to escape into the atmosphere through the pipe conduit 30 or can be utilized for heating and cooking purposes. The quantity of air flowing through the slots can be adjusted by a slide 3I. The adjustment may be effected by hand by means of the hand wheel 9b or..automatically by the lever Iflb which is actuated by a temperature regulator.

Instead of employing a jet air pump, a compressor driven by a power engine as illustrated in Fig. 2, may be used.

As in the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 fresh air is supplied into the evaporator 61) through the pipe 28b and the evaporated water is renewed through the pipe 2Ib.

The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3 presents the following advantage:

In the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the driving medium coming from the jet blower and the vapor carried off from the evaporator must be conveyed by the compressors I or I4 respectively. In the arrangement according to Fig. 3, however, the vapor coming from the evaporator condenses before entering the secondary stage and is then immediately discharged. The comv pressor 22 (Fig. 3) therefore need only to suck in the driving air for jet blower. Thus, the working volume and the power required by the compressor 22 are reduced, this representing an important advantage.

I claim: t

1. Arefrigerator. comprising in combination a compressor operated from any suitable source of power, a compartment on the intake side of said compressor, a pipe leading from the delivery side of said compressor, an evaporator partly filled with liquid and a suction pump at the end of said delivery pipe actuated by the mixture of steam and air compressed by said compressor and connected with saidcompartment on the intake side and with said evaporator above the level of the liquid therein, said pump adapted to produce a vacuum in said evaporator to evaporate the liquid therein and feed the vaporized liquid and air through said compartment to said compressor.

2. In a refrigerator as specified in claim 1 the suction pump comprising a nozzle on the end of the delivery pipe and a difiusor leading to said compartment.

3. In a refrigerator as specified in claim 1 the pump, comprising a motor connected to the delivery pipe driven by the medium circulated by the compressor, and a compressor connected with the evaporator and the compartment.

4. In a refrigerator as specified in claim 1 means for maintaining at constant pressure the medium circulated by the compressor, comprising a spring loaded valve in the delivery pipe adapted to allow a portion of the medium in circulation to escape when the pressure in this pipe exceeds 1 atmosphere, and means for maintaining constant the liquid level in the evaporator.

ALBERT HENNIG. 

